Become the Dream : The Transforming Power of Hypnotic Dreamwork

" ...This is a book with many transcripts of hypnotic dream work, in which the client is lead to become the different characters in the dream, and then have them dialogue with one another, which usually leads to some integration. This process is called "Gestalt therapy" . Apparently it works very well in combination: with dream recall/reliving while being guided in the relaxed state of hypnosis. After the main dialogue work, frequently Randal gives integrating positive post-hypnotic suggestions. Some transcript chapters also contain comments from the class, commentary by Randal, & a little follow up information.

...Randal explains the necessary background during the first 50 pages.
After some transcripts, there is a chapter on hypnotically induced dreams, and one on regression therapy. All together there are 16 transcripts. Some of them are very touching.
...The book is nontechnical and easy to read. No theory here, beyond understanding that all dream parts are aspects of ourselves. Only the necessary practical steps for doing the work are clarified (pages 42- 48) .
...This book is valuable to me because it opens a way for me to learn from my dreams. I also learned more about the potential of hypnosis, gained a better sense of what makes us all "tick", & I feel it helped me open the door wider into accepting and working with all kinds of feelings.
... Personally, generally, I liked the first 2-thirds of the book the most.
... There is also a chapter with 7 pages about lucid dreaming
...I expect to reread it and have ordered Randal's book on regression therapy.

... To me the beauty of hypnotic dream work, is that it begins with the the sub or unconscious. Instead of 'the work' beginning with what the 'conscious ego' thinks "the problem" is, the investigation proceeds from the inside out. There must first be a willingness to begin in mystery, and secondly a patience to explore the mystery in a very personal way, rather than hurrying to a solution & conclusion.

... Very loosely speaking: Freud 'discovered' the mystery of dreams, but attempted to use a very laborious and very lengthy processes to explore them, and took an essentially negative and dualistic/moralistic view. Gestalt therapy like the 'general basics of Jungian theory' sees the person in a more wholistic manner in which all parts are seen as valuable, and 'integration/evolution/creativity' not 'perfection/normalcy', is seen as the healthy goal. When this outlook is combined with hypnosis and dreams something exciting emerges.
... Apparently Gil Boyne (1989) pioneered combining Gestalt techniques with hypnosis. Gestalt is more like Zen and Reichian work, than either psychoanalytic/Freudian or Jungian therapy, in the sense that that the body and senses are more involved. Reichian work begins with the breath, which is a vehicle, into the body & it's energies.
... Gestalt is much more playful than any of these others. Body and mind/speech are necessarily given equal opportunity, when acting. In Become The Dream most of the processing is done while sitting, sometimes with an extra empty chair, but the option to get up and fully embody a part seems always open, and is sometimes used. Even when doing Gestalt-dream-dialogue sitting, the clients usually quickly access emotionally charged material, with Randal's expert guidance, and the jump-start of working with dream material."
~ Written on 2007-12-12

"Become The Dream is a powerful and practical teaching tool for professionals in any of the health and counseling fields, and an inspiring and provocative book for anyone seeking self-knowledge and actualization. Randal Churchill is Director of the Hypnotherapy Training Institute and originator of Hypnotic Dreamwork™. In this book he introduces a revolutionary combination of therapies that brings Gestalt dreamwork together with hypnosis. The vast majority of dreamwork methods rely on analysis and interpretation. By contrast, Gestalt dreamwork brings the dreamer into a deeper experience of the dream itself and allows the individual to find the unique relationship of the dream to his or her own existential experience. The addition of a wealth of hypnotic techniques takes the dreamer much further, with a variety of effective options such as hypnotic deepening, ideomotor methods, regression and positive suggestions for further insight and integration. Actual transcripts from a wide range of fascinating dreamwork sessions draw the reader into an intimate look at therapy from the inside. With great sensitivity and skill, the author demonstrates the remarkable potential of this unique work to tap into the receptivity and wisdom inherent in the subconscious mind and the potential for profound change."
~ Written on 2001-08-09

"Easy reading book that has helped me understand the real meaning of my dreams. Uses hypnotic, self-hypnotic and gestalt psychology techniques to do it. Includes actual case histories that are phenomenally interesting to read. Now I know the message that my dreams bring to me. I can then take action to change my life in a positive way. Different than any other "dream" book I know. Highly recommended to anyone interested in knowing more about their dreams, discovering a consistent technique to do it, and then using that information to make positive changes in one's life."
~ Written on 1999-01-24